I think my toddler is underweight. What should I do?

• published: 22 May 2014
• views: 8

First you need to find out whether your toddler is actually underweight or whether it just seems he is underweight because he hardly eats. Ask your child's paediatrician to measure your toddler's height and weight. He can use the measurements to confirm whether your toddler is a healthy weight. The doctor will take into account your toddler's previous pattern of growth, and your and your husband's weight. Some children are just naturally skinny or slim, particularly if their parents are also slim, or were slim as children. You can also discuss your toddler's diet with your doctor. Even if your child is underweight, there is no real risk to his health or development, particularly if you address the problem early on. Toddlers can become a bit underweight for all sorts of reasons. The most common reason is a toddler simply burning off more calories than he takes in daily. If your toddler has a long spell of fussy eating, he may lose weight. In the short term, your toddler may lose weight if he's been ill, perhaps from a tummy bug. Being sick and having diarrhoea may mean your toddler doesn't absorb the nutrients he needs into his bloodstream, so he loses weight. Your toddler should put the weight back on again within a couple of weeks of his illness. Your child may also be losing weight because of a worm infection. So, do check with the paediatrician for appropriate medication. Sometimes, weight loss may be a sign of an underlying medical condition. This is particularly the case if your child seems to eat well or has digestive problems. This is why it's important to see your doctor if you are concerned about your child's weight. Your doctor can refer your toddler to a specialist if necessary. Rest assured that as long as you give your toddler balanced, healthy meals, he's most likely to be fine. You can help your toddler to enjoy food and eat well by encouraging him to feel relaxed at mealtimes. Try to have regular mealtimes and snack times. Whenever you can, eat at a table, as a family. Turn off the TV, put away phones, video games or tablets and concentrate on eating and chatting. Although your toddler's weight may be making you feel anxious, try not to put pressure on him to eat. It's more likely to put him off than encourage him. If your toddler gets bored with sitting at the table, he may eat more food during the day if he has five or six small meals rather than three main meals. A food diary may help you to get to know his preferred patterns, and to identify times when he is most hungry and likely to eat well. Include all his drinks, as well as his meals and snacks. If you work full-time, do check with other people caring for him, such as a family member or a maid. The food diary may help in identifying eating patterns and food choices while you are away. Toddlers have small tummies yet can also be really active. Although what your toddler eats is at the top of your mind, your child may be far too busy to even think about food! If your toddler is slow to gain weight, you may have to increase the calorie content of his food without increasing the quantity. You can also ask to be referred to a dietitian, who can suggest healthy ways of doing this. Here are some ideas: Ensure that all dairy products, such as milk, yoghurt, cheese and paneer are full-fat rather than low-fat. You can give your child a variety of dairy foods such as shrikhand, mishti doi, smoothies with high calorie fruits such as bananas (kela), sapotas (cheeku) and mangoes (aam).